The Road Less Travelled By
by Elandil
Summary: Fawkes may have arrived in time to help Harry kill the basalisk but what if he had been too late to save the boy? Even in death fate is not done with the 12 year old and instead, he finds himself in a war with yet another choice hanging over his head. Will he stay and fight to save the life and world that he loves, or will he sail to find the peace he has never known? Elfling!Harry
1. Chapter 1

For a long while, there was nothing but blackness. With no sense of being or time, Harry Potter, 2nd year Gryffindor and the bane of the dark Lord, just floated on the black cloud of emptiness, his thoughts hazy and his limbs weightless. In the depths of his own mind, he was sealed into the memory of when he had been 3 years old, before the Dursleys had gone too far with their abuse, before the weird things had begun to occur around him, when he was still a child in both heart and mind.

It had been Dudley's birthday and the whole family had gone out to the petting zoo in the next city over, leaving him with Mrs Figg for the day, but Harry didn't really mind. The old woman had allowed him out into the garden for the entire morning where he was allowed to run through the flowers and grassy path ways for as long as his little legs could carry him. In this place where he was free, it seemed like anything could happen, and in his mind, fairies danced around him as he slew the mighty dragon he had seen on Dudley's bedroom door. At his side was Scruffy the fierce, the young tabby cat who, in his mind, was the beloved companion to the little warrior, as fearsome as a lion. He had laughed more in that one day then he had ever had reason to before or since as he enjoyed his freedom under the maternal eye of the old lady.

It was one of his best memories, as it was a time when he was truly happy. No one had shouted at him, or forced him to do any difficult task. It was before the responsibility that came with fame was thrust upon his shoulders and before the whispered mutterings of 'Slytherin's heir' that followed him through the hall ways, before the people who claimed to love him one moment, then abhorred him the next. It was a magical memory, and it was where he remained, reliving the time when he had truly been able to be a child, even for just a few short hours though now, in that day he was joined by 2 children his own age. One was a tall girl with curly brown hair to her shoulders and the other was a pale faced boy with flaming hair. With those two at his side, he continued to adventure further into the 'wilderness' than he had ever managed before.

On the outside, the broken body of the 12 year old lay propped on a bed of black silk that contrasted sharply with his alabaster skin, gently laid out beside that of a girl, only a year younger, with bright copper hair and a face of ghostly white. At first glance, it would seem as though the two were merely sleeping, but if one played close attention, they would see that the slight, emaciated bodies were glowing, and that neither were breathing. Off to the left, a young woman in the midst of a larger group sighed, her silver eyes lingering on the black haired child with the series of scars dotting his small body from head to toe. The babe, for that is all he could have been described as in her eyes, had seen far too much pain in the course of his short life.

"_It is not fair that they should have come so far only to fail in the end._"

Around her, the woman's companions fell silent, also turning to face the younglings on the bed. Of the 4 of them, there were two who showed only pity for the two crushed figures, while the others showed dread and guilt. They had all seen it of course, the little ones' ends. Had stood there as the girl was possessed time and again, growing more and more scared as time went by, but unable to fight the darkness that had taken over her heart and mind. They had merely stood by as the boy grew hated by his peers for attempting to save another, and how both managed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

They had observed how the girl had finally lost control of her body and been dragged down into the chamber to die while the darkness had been revived, and how the boy fought valiantly against a demon beings several times his age would fear to face. In the end, the boy had prevailed, but there was no luck for him. Basalisk venom was potent, and though the phoenix tears had helped strengthen him for a time, they had come too late to save him completely, the poison had already reached his heart, though none of those gathered had known this. Though he had been able to stop the darkness from regaining form, the wave of dark energy released from the destruction of the horcrux had stopped his weakened heart, as well as the girl's. They had watched, but been unable to intervene with the morbid fate of the little ones, the four omnipotent beings, for once, being left powerless in the face of such a tragedy. Until now.

"_We must send them back. The both have a part left to play, and the boy is badly needed by the light in the war that is to come_."

The inflectionless voice of Mandos filled the small hall, though when the others turned to face him, his face betrayed his warring emotions, though none had expected such an extreme response. His words had been cold, as was fitting for the dooms man of the Valar, yet his eyes lingered on the boy with a never before seen warmth, similar to a dazed father looking upon his new born son for the first time, a look that he had not supported for several long ages. Yet they were also filled with great pain, centuries in the making. Beside him, Lórien stiffened, his golden eyes growing wide as he focused on the child properly for the first time.

"_He is the one destined to master your Hallows… the one who is mean to be the champion of death… Your son… Merlinor"_

The words were little more than a breath in the still air of the chamber, but the gathered spirits now turned to the child with wonder on their faces. They had all heard tell of the dooms man's lost child. A son that had been taken by Melkor at the very beginning of the war and who had never been seen since a few days after his birth. He had been stolen from his crib in the very depth of the night and it had been foretold that he would be born again in a different world, beyond the reach of the Valar. It was Melkor's revenge on the harbinger of death who had banished too many of the fallen spirit's followers. That he would have to see his son age and die in another world, and yet have no way to contact or aid him. The children of the Valar were prized more than elfling on Arda, for they were so rare, and were destined to be adored from the moment of their birth… yet the son of death would know no such love. It had broken the Vala and those around him had despaired, yet here was the child.

"_It cannot be… He has known such pain already, pain that should never have fallen on him in the first place, and you would have him sent back into the war? He is here now. He is safe in your halls. Can he not remain that way? The girl too does not deserve what fate has afforded her. Let them rest here and await their families in happiness… is that not a kindness?"_

Nienna stepped forwards to run a shaking hand over the child's frozen forehead, wincing slightly when she saw the blood that covered his small frame. To harm a child was one of the foulest of crimes, yet the boy before her was riddled with scars, both physical and mental, in a way that no child should ever be, injuries that would take many long years to heal, even in the silver shores of the undying lands. So beaten and broken was he by his so called family, and then by fate. The lady of mercy felt tears fill her eyes as she saw the trials that were still to come for the boy, and she had to fight the urge to take him into her arms, to hold him safe from all who would harm him in any world.

An icy hand landed on her own and pulled it away, forcing her to look up into the despondent face of her old friend. Her years of experience with him allowing her to see past his façade and into the very depth of the hurt that filled his soul. Though he should have been rejoicing at the return of his child, the dooms man was grieving deeply.

"_He cannot remain here, that is Morgoth's curse, his spirit will only fade if he is left in my halls. My child is lost to me my friend. He cannot stay."_

The last few words were choked out as a thin film of tears clouded the spirits vision and he allowed his old friend to pull him into her embrace. Slowly, but surely, over the course of millennia, the dooms man was breaking, and this was just another blow to his already shattered heart. Many on Arda had begun to fear the call of the dooms man when at first he had been revered. Now seen as bitter and cruel, a vengeful shade that had no mercy. What they did not understand, nor would they ever be able to, was that Mandos' compassion had been ripped from him along with his little nightingale, his son.

For several long moments, the two remained like that, the smaller figure giving comfort to the one who openly wept for the first time in several thousands of years. His mask had been shattered by this new trial, leaving all of his pain open to the world once again, and his companions tried their best to comfort him. Stilling by his brother's side, Lórien fixed his amber eyes on the spirits of the children that lay before them, a frown crossing his features.

"_There is more than one way open to the child my friend, though the girl must remain at his side on either path_."

For once, the golden halls of woven tales fell silent as 3 sets of eyes, two curious and one despondent, turned to face the seer who had yet to take his eyes from the children. Mandos did not dare to hope that his long-time friend and brother had a solution to his problem, but there was nothing worse than the fate set out for his son in the world he had previously called home. Anything could be better than the pain of betrayal and loss that was awaiting the small boy who should have known naught but happiness since his birth. Still acting as though in a trance, Lórien stepped closer to the bed and ran a gentle hand over Merlinor's pale brow.

"_We can send the children to_ Middle Earth… _your son may have lost his abilities as a Valar as an effect of the curse, but the blood of the first born will still run thick in his veins… we need only to awaken it inside of him." _

"_You mean to turn the child into an elfling? He would still retain his magic on that plane… danger will still follow him where ever he was to go. The creatures of the shadows would not stop hunting him as long as he was alive and with Sauron's growing power the danger will only increase. What hope does a lone child have against such forces?_"

Nienna's words were softly spoken, though their tone was biting and cold. She would not allow unnecessary pain to befall her honorary nephew and to send such a light and helpless being into Arda at a time when the shadows were steadily growing in strength was cruel. The inhabitants of the mortal plane may not have noticed the darkness forming in the Greenwood, but the Valar were all too aware of the danger, there was a reason for the decrease in the already low number of elfling births after all. However, to her surprise, the watch man only shook his head, a small, rueful smile crossing his features.

"_Not on their own, no. And as I said before, the girl must go with him. As two halves of a whole, they need each other. What I suggest is that we send them to Imladris, into the care of Elrond Half-Elven and his wife Celebrian, there they would be safe, and it is there that they would be needed in the future._"

"_What do you mean 'they would be needed'? What has made you suggest such a course of action now brother? We are not to interfere with the affairs of their world any longer, you know this!_"

The master of death turned to glare at his friend, stepping away from the embrace he had been taking comfort from only a few seconds before, his pain washed away by the centuries of anger that had been contained and was now finding a way to vent itself. He knew that it was unjust to take out his frustrations when Lórien was only attempting to help, however, he had let his hopes be raised, even by a miniscule amount, and now that they had been allowed to fall again, he was beginning to lose control of his temper. Still the watch man did not move however, his hand gently caressing the pale face of the child he had never received the chance to know.

"_I know that you have felt it my friend, the one ring has again been recovered and a war is brewing that cannot be avoided. The very fact that it is Morgoth's pet that shall be causing all of this suffering creates a pathway for the child into the world and his presence shall balance the scales."_

Turning back to face his audience, the golden eyed spirit sent a wan smile at his friends, his hands now collapsed firmly behind his back as he prepared for his big reveal. He knew this plan was risky, and relied heavily on Merlinor's strength of character when the time came for his decision, but he believed in the boy that he had seen risk his life countless times for the sake of others, and Arda definitely needed something to tip the balance of power back from the darkness, though, even if the boy did not choose to help, then his ending would still be better for the father who was now staring longingly at the spirit of his son.

"_A time will come when a council is called to dictate the fate of their world, and he would be given the chance to help. If he did, his presence would be invaluable, but if he chooses not to, then he can sail from the grey havens with the rest of Elrond's kin. There he would be safe, and you would be able to see him again Mella nin._ He need not get involved with the war if he does not wish to."

Again silence filled the room as Mandos looked over the broken form of his child once again, drinking in the sight as a man trapped in the desert would worship the sight of an oasis. It was clear in his stormy eyes that the spirit of death was conflicted, yet the firm set of his shoulders spoke of his determination as he turned back to the rest of the room.

"_If the choice is truly his in the end, then so be it. As an elfling at least, he will know peace like he never has before. But what of the girl? You say that she must go with him, yet she is mortal still. If she were to arrive at the same time as he, she would age and die before he even reached his majority!"_

It was then that the final member of their party, the lady Estë stepped forwards, a gently smile on her face. She had originally been there to tend to the little ones if they were to need medical aid, yet now she felt that her presence was needed for more than just that one favour.

"_The I would claim the child. If I were to adopt her, she too would possess the blood of the first born on Arda and be welcomed along with the boy. The elves would celebrate the coming of 2 elflings even more than they would have the one. I have seen the little one's heart and have no qualms with claiming her as my blood. She is strong, yet gentle, and I feel that she has the strength of soul to become a great healer in time."_

Without waiting for a response, the kind hearted spirit stepped forwards and kissed the girl's brow, causing a dark blue light to envelope the child as her body changed slightly, adapting to the energy that was being infused within its cells. When the light finally dimmed, not much had changed but that the girl's skin was now the colour of snow and her fiery curls had lightened to a gleaming red-gold. Satisfied with her work, the lady of healing smiled at all of her friends before turning and gliding out of the room. She would be praying for the safety of the little ones, that much she knew.

In the wake of her swift actions and soon departure, Estë left the room in complete silence, though it did not last long as Mandos allowed a disbelieving laugh to leave his throat, the sound reverberating around the room in a way that had not been heard in many long years.

"_It seems then that the choice has been made for us. Though I pray that my son does not have to face any of the trials I fear will follow him now. Go Lórien, do your work._"

With that said, he too left the antechamber in which their impromptu council had formed, followed closely by the smiling Lady of Mercy, leaving only the watcher to send off the children's spirits with a sad smile upon his face.

"_Live long and choose well little ones, for I fear what will happen to the last free people of Arda if hope does not come to them soon_."


	2. Chapter 2

The sweet cloying scent of crushed flowers filled the air as the contingent of elven warriors stormed forwards. For once, no birds sang at their passing and, instead, the darkening woods were filled with a pressing silence that made everything seem too still. Even the horses breathing seemed muted in the nothingness, though their rides drove them hard. At their head, Lord Elrond Half-Elven rode forwards with a single minded determination that would have scared any who were held beneath it for it ensured that blood would be spilt that night and that a red dawn was on the horizon.

Not two days had passed since the messenger had run into Imladris, bruised and bloody, bringing with him the news of a tragedy that that shaken the elven settlement to the core. The Healer Lord did not even stay to see to the ellon's treatment, only relegating it to one of the other's that worked in his halls, before gathering the guard and setting out to the golden woods of Lothlorien in pursuit of the company of orcs that had dared try and take his wife from him, though thankfully, his daughter had remained behind, or not even Melkor himself would have stopped him from taking his vengeance. Since then, the hunting party had stopped only when it could not be avoided for the sake of the horses and were hot on the trail of the vile beasts. They would catch up to them that night, and it was this that saw a spark of phrenic energy passing through the silent air.

When their sensitive ears finally picked up the sound of laboured breathing and pounding feet, they knew that they were close to their target, but no sooner had they begun to slow their mounts with the intention of surrounding their targets, than a scream split the air, encouraging them to ride faster and eliminating and lingering traces of mercy that may have clung to their purpose beforehand. By disregarding the need for stealth, they reached the small clearing in which the fell beasts had decided to set up camp in less than a minute, and, with the silken whistle of an arrow splitting the air, the struggle began.

Freeing the light sword at his side once again after many years of peace, Elrond rode towards the centre of what was quickly becoming a massacre as the 50 elves took down the band of 20 orcs as easily as a scythe would be used to cut grass, to where he could see a pale figure being illuminated by the moonlight. Seemingly oblivious to the conflict going on around her, Celebrian remained where she was, kneeling on the blackened grass and staring down at the ground, her golden hair hiding her face from view.

For a moment, Elrond's heart soared as he saw his mate seemingly unharmed and well enough to support herself, but he could not banish the piercing scream that still rang through his head and, as he grew closer, he found the cause of such an agonised cry.

Dark blood tarnished the pale blue of his wife's worn travelling gown in a pattern that could only come from a whip, though her position indicated that she had made no move to defend herself from the assault. It was a notion that both confused and worried the elven Lord and he silently thanked the Valar that his sons had been away from home when the messenger had arrived, meaning that they were not in the hunting party. If they had been present to hear of the news, then there was no way that he would have been able to stop them from accompanying their group, as it was, he could only be thankful that they would not be present for such a sight.

Growing closer still, he dismounted from his steed and took the final step so that he could lay a soothing hand on the elleth's shoulder, the melody of battle fading around them just enough that he could hear the soft sobs that seemed to wrack her slim frame in a manner that made his hands shake with fury just as sure as the large gashes on her back made his vision flare red. To his surprise, and immense relief, she leaned slightly into his touch rather than flinching away, he did not think that his heart could bare it if his love had moved away from him now.

"_Celebrian… we must leave this place… we must return you to Lothlorien so that you can be healed. Please, you need to stand."_

He continued his whispered yet desperate petitions for many long minutes, until the battle was won and their guard had taken up a position in a ring formation around the Lord and Lady, protecting them from any beasts that may be drawn to the scent of blood without intruding on the private moment, but the woman would not move. All she did was kneel there, her head bent as she sobbed silently, seemingly unaware of what was occurring around her, too caught up in her own thoughts. It broke the hearts of the warriors to see their sweet and well-loved lady in such a state, but none were as effected as her doting husband who could only look at her with eyes that begged for her to be well and to respond to him.

They remained as such for many long moments until a cry went up from one of the scouts and all eyes shifted to the tree line where the sound had originated. Sharing a look with his long-time friend and general, Elrond sent the Noldor elf to see what the problem was, unwilling to leave his injured mate for even a second, though his senses remained on high alert, searching for a foe to take his anger out upon in an acceptable manner. It was only when Glorfindel returned that he stepped away, even slightly, from the crumpled form of his wife. Held tightly to the balrog slayer's chest was a small figure who seemed to be attempting to hide themselves from the view of the elves around them by hiding their face in the elven Lord's neck. From this positon, all that Elrond could see was a lock of red- gold hair that fell from underneath the hood.

"_A… child?"_

What was a child doing so far away from any settlement? To be so far away from any form of safety without even the trace of guardians, it must have been a prisoner of the orcs alongside his wife, but how had it managed to get away? And why had the orcs kept it alive in the first place? He could understand them keeping his wife as a form of ransom or to ensure safe passage through the elven realms, but normally they would just eat a child they captured, not drag them along with them for many days with the risk of allowing them to be captured by the slower pace, as they must have done to get it so far away from human village. Some sort of force was drawing him towards the child and it was only the abrupt and jerky movement of Celebrian's head snapping up that stopped him from taking another step closer to the pair.

"_Malrin… you were told to run."_

The words were soft in the silent night air, but the broken whisper carried like wildfire around the assembled warriors who's eyes, that had drifted away to give a sense of privacy, instantly locked back onto the small frame in Glorfindel's arms. If the lady had spoken to her in the Sindarin language and addressed her with such a name, then that meant that the mystery around the child had grown. As far as they were aware, only the Dunadain taught their children to speak in the tongue of the elves let alone named them from the same language, but none of their number had such a strange coloured hair. At least the Lady's words had confirmed that the child had been a captive of the orcs, though there was obviously more to that story than there first appeared to be. Possibly more than any of them were willing to find out on such an already troubled night.

Taking a quick step back towards his still kneeling wife and only then noticing that he had moved so far from her side, Elrond sent her a sharp look, begging her to explain the situation, even though a part of him was immensely relieved that she had awoken from her stupor and a distant part at the back of his mind told him that he did not want to hear the explanation... It could not end well.

"_Celebrian… what…_?"

He would have pressed further with his questions, but the elleth silenced him with a quick shake of her head, looking more like herself now than the wraith she had resembled only moments prior, before turning back to the young girl who seemed to be staring at her intently from where she had just been set down. For a moment the two just stared at each other as though checking that both were mostly intact after their ordeal, but then another voice broke the mounting silence in a manner that made everyone but the two freeze in shock.

"_Where's Merlinor?"_

The soft spoken words had been in such a clear, bright voice that it had to have been the child, yet the light undertone that lent a melody even to the spoken words could not have belonged to any but an elf. This realisation struck just as his wife moved her arms away from where they had been cradled protectively against her chest showing clearly the bundle that she had been holding for the first time and the old Elven Lord felt his heart stop.

Curled up in the pale arms was the form of a young boy who looked to be no more than 3 mortal years, with skin so white that it was obviously from blood loss, and raven hair that fell over his ashen face, but most shocking of all was the small, pointed ear that could be seen poking out of the matted strands that seemed to be coated in blood. An Elfling… but he must have been mistaken surely?

While the rest of the guards were still standing in shock at the implications of this meeting, the girl from earlier darted forwards so that she was knelt with her back to Elrond as she clung to Celebrian's arm, gazing down at the small figure that was barely moving to breath. With the speed of her movement, the child's hood had fallen down too, revealing a small face that confirmed their earlier suspicions, thought the streaks of blood and cuts that marred her delicate features made even some of the more seasoned warriors flinch.

_Two_ Elfings.

Two _injured_ Elflings.

_Elflings_.

But that simply wasn't possible.

Around 2000 years ago, the elves had found that the, already low, frequency of Elflings born had begun to decrease in frequency, and, with the last elf born being Arwen who had reached adulthood nearly 300 years previously, they had believed that there would be no more children born to them east of the grey havens. It had hurt the eldar immensely to realise that there would no longer be the sound of childish laughter in any of their cities, and many had lamented the lack of new life… Yet here were two who could be no more than 10 years of age… both of whom looked as though they had been through a war as well as famine, as the ribs of the young boy could be seen through the holes in the black cloak he was tenderly wrapped in.

A deep fury filled his thoughts as he saw the trails of blood on the girl's neck and the way that the scarlet liquid seemed to drip from the left arm of the small boy but he still could not move. How had they come to situation in the first place? Why had this miraculous new lives not been guarded as fiercely as the life of his daughter had been when she was still small, held more jealousy than any dwarf could love a gem? It did not seem possible that the children would be left to the mercy of such demons even if their parents had been killed, which was a very real possibility. And how had the news of their births not reached him? Even if they had been born in Mirkwood, as the girl's hair colour suggested seeing as only sylvan blood created anything other than the normal blonde or raven shades, his relationship with Thraduil had not deteriorated to the extent where he would keep such important information from him. So why was he only learning of their existence now?

The sight of his mate's flinch as she pulled the girl into a tight embrace finally snapped the elf Lord out of the shock of his sudden realisation and he stepped forwards quickly to catalogue the injuries of the three, though, no sooner had he taken a small step forwards than the girl, Malrin, jerked closer into Celebrian's hold, hiding her young face in the older elleth's hair. From just the way that the child was standing, it was clear to see that there were several wounds covered by her cloak, but also that she was terrified.

Brought up short by the very real idea that this type of attitude may have been the product of torture, Elrond could do little but crouch down so that he was more on the child's level. Hopefully, he would not seem so intimidating if he was not looming over her. Behind his back, he signalled for the ring of warriors around them to disperse, giving the small group more room. It was clear from the reluctance of their movements that the guards did not want to move away from the new found children, but they all followed the order, moving around the clearing, gathering the bodies to be placed in a pyre somewhere where the children would not be able to see it. If their actions around the corpses held any more malice than normal, he did not comment, focusing only on the impossible truth before him now.

Surprisingly enough, it was only Glorfindel who remained in the field at all, keeping watch over them in case more enemies appeared. They could not afford to chance such a thing right at that moment. Though the other guards were sure to be scattered around the trees. No one would harm the elflings again, that much was a certainty.

"_You're safe now little on. It is not my intention to hurt you."_

He spoke softly in an attempt as to not startle Malrin, who was still cowering from him, but they seemed to have no effect, leading him to shoot a pleading look at Celebrain. Their wounds needed to be addressed as soon as was possible, the small ellon more than the rest of them, but he was not going to risk scaring the child even more than she already was if there was any way around it.

For a moment, the older elleth only stared back at him, a dark shadow in her eyes that had never been there before, and it pained him that such a thing would be there now, but, after seeming to decide something, she turned back to the girl who appeared to be attempting to melt into her side, and slid a soft hand through her bright curls. Leaning forwards, she moved to whisper into a small, delicately pointed ear, but no sooner had she moved than a violent flinch shot through her body. Faster than he could react, the girl span round and grabbed the one she had been taking shelter from and, with her small arms, helped to steady her shivering form.

"_You did not say that you were hurt!"_

The young voice was soft, but her words held a trace of accusation along with the hysterics that had been there before, and it was this that shocked the Elven Lord once again, even though he was beginning to think that such a thing was impossible after such a night. The tiny elleth sounded indignant as though she expected to have been told such things straight away. It was endearingly sweet… in a morbid sort of way, and invoked a genuine smile from Celebrian that her mate had not seen since Arwen had lain ill with a fever when she was only 30 or so.

"_And you are tired. There was no reason to burden you now, and Malrin… I believe your brother needs more aid than I. He attempted to block their blows from me…. The stupid boy…."_

"_Yes… He does that."_

The response and the end of his mate's statement was uttered with a mixture of fondness and irritation that would have made Elrond laugh if the thought that the child had been injured in any way that his mind happily supplied him with. The situation was too surreal to be true and, after sharing a look with Glorfindel that was both bemused and blood thirsty in equal parts, he stepped forwards, hoping to bring the conversation back to rational topics that did not including a child who was little more than a babe attempting to act the hero in a situation that he should never have experienced in the first place.

"_Be that as it may… we must leave. I cannot treat any of you here, and it is not safe to linger anyway. Let us be off to Lothlorien before anything else finds us."_

He attempted to convey his urgency in a way that would not spook the child, but it was true that they really did have to leave now. However, he need not have tried to preserve the girl's emotional state as, when she turned to him, her oddly golden eyes seemed to be filled with knowledge that belied her apparent age. How was it possible for a single child to have a gaze so haunted and old?oHo


	3. Chapter 3

From the moment that she had woken up in this new world, Malrin felt that she had been thrown into a sea where she had no hope of fighting the current. She could not think of a possible reason for how she had ended up in the middle of such a dark wood, in fact, she couldn't really remember much of anything. When she pushed herself, using her entire force of will to find an explanation for the current situation, all she had felt was a bone deep cold that seemed to leech the life energy from her limbs and made her feel sick to her stomach and left her shivering in the darkness.

At first she had thought that she was all alone in this strange place, so very far from home… though she had no recollection of such a place other than a great amount of stone, and the thought had terrified the young girl, but then she had heard the faint, pained snuffles of something to her left, and, when she gathered the courage to move, she found him.

Merlinor… laying in a pool of his own blood on the carpet of decaying leaves.

Something inside her had broken at the mental image and she flung herself at the tiny figure that was only just smaller than her own, her hands fluttering desperately in the air above him as she tried to figure out what to do. For some reason she could not explain, she knew him, just as she knew her own name, but she had no idea how she knew. It was incredibly disconcerting, but she had no time to focus on that as his breathing seemed to slow beneath her hands, and, before she knew it, the world around her blurred and burning tears started to race down her cheeks, why was she so useless?

"_Lay your hands on his head child."_

The voice was so soft that, if her hearing had not been so strong, she would not have heard it, and she half suspected that it was only the wind in the trees, but she had been so distraught at that time, so scared of being left alone, that she listened without question, her tiny hands (shouldn't they be bigger?) cupping the boy's icy cheeks while her tears continued to fall thick and fast.

"_Calm yourself… sense the energy in the air around you and let it flow into him."_

Again she instinctively followed the voice, her eyes falling shut in her concentration. It took a moment for her to find the slight tickle in the flow of the air over her chilled skin, but as soon as she had a semi-solid grasp on the strange feeling, a warmth seemed to surge through her, making the young child gasp in surprise, her eyes snapping open as a brilliant gold light seemed to run from her hands and into the boy's… no, his name was Merlinor, she knew that… body, sealing the wounds shut and causing his skin to darken from the sickly pale shade to the far healthier colour of porcelain, his emerald green eyes flashing open to meet her own silver ones.

For a moment, the two had simply lain there, staring at each other. She panting as the surge of energy left her, leaving behind an exhaustion she had never felt before, and he gazing up at her with glazed eyes, attempting the same as she had when she had first awoken, but he did not seem to have any more luck in that area that she had managed. A few more moments passed in silence before his small (… far too small, just like hers) hand rose to lightly brush the tear tracks on her face, gracing her with a concerned smile.

"_Malrin… what…_?"

Both of them froze at the sound of his high, clear voice, each surprised though a part of their minds told them that they should not be, that it was natural. Malrin… it was her name… she _knew_ that it was her name… but why did it sound so different… as though she had never heard it before? Why had she been expecting a different one? Had she been expecting a different one? And what language was this that she could understand as easily as if she had been speaking it all her life, yet the sounds of the syllables did not fit with what she had been expecting… it should have been different, harsher somehow, but she had no idea why she was expecting this…

Shaking her head to rid herself of such disturbing thoughts, she forced herself back to the situation at hand and sent a reassuring glance down at her friend? Brother? She did not know anymore, but she knew that the connection was there. Even if she had no more of an idea of what was happening that he did, she felt that she should try and help to calm him down, after all, though she could no longer see the wounds, she had not been able to heal everything, it would not do well for him to become stressed now and cause his condition to deteriorate.

"_I-I don't know… nor where we are, but I'm sure that we will be fine. Though I would suggest that we move soon and attempt to find shelter, the healing was rather noticeable, and would act like a beacon for anything that may be out here hunting."_

The phrasing was wrong, awkward somehow, but it also seemed natural so she eventually just shook it off as being from her disorientation, that was probably what all of these strange feelings were anyway. Perhaps she had hit her head earlier? It would certainly explain why her memories were so messed up. Absently she wondered if the voice from before, for she was sure now that there _had_ been a voice, would know a cure for concussion, but, in the end, she just pushed that thought aside and helped the smaller form of Merlinor limp across the leaf covered floor as the two of them moved on from their resting place to find a better shelter.

For around a week the two of them stayed that way, camping out in a cave next to a stream that they had found by following a stag though the underbrush. It was amazing to the young pair just how relaxed the animals were around them, never even flinching away… some of the smaller forest creatures had even taken to following them around, especially a small grey fox that could be little more than a kit. Their little clearing was peaceful and there were enough berries on the bushes in the immediate area that they had not had to leave at all to find food. It was like someone was looking out for their wellbeing somewhere, how else could 2 children barely out of the toddler stage be able to last so long on their own? But, like all good things, it had to end, and, when it did, it ended with a bang.

Malrin had no idea what had happened, the last thing she could remember was laying down to rest in the cave while Merlinor took watch. His wounds had healed incredibly quickly, faster than she had ever been expecting, and, as soon as he was able to walk on his own again, he had insisted that the jobs be split between the two of them rather than having her burdened with all of the work. At first she had protested, since he _should _have still been recovering, but he had been persistent, and, eventually, she had just been too exhausted argue further and she had given in. Though now that decision was coming back to bite her as she felt a burning pain at the back of her head that made tears spring to her closed eyes.

The smell was overwhelming, like rotting meat and other forms of decay, all rolled into one package and then left out and forgotten on the hottest day of the year, and she had to fight the urge to gag, forcing the bitter bile back down her throat. Her instincts were screaming at her to play dead for a little while longer, and they had not led her wrong yet. Even though she could now feel the movement of something beneath her, the same something that was emitting the pungent stink, she kept her muscles lack and her breathing even… as difficult as the latter was with the constant assault on her senses.

For a while, she could discern nothing more than the monotonous pounding of several feet that told her that whoever was carrying her in such an uncaring fashion was not alone… and that led to the realisation that, if she was there then that meant that they must have Merlinor too . That thought alone was enough to make her breathing hitch, though, as it was only small, she had hoped that the noise would not be noticed. Unfortunately, it seemed that luck had abandoned her in this moment, and the one holding her shouted out to his companions in a guttural language that made her ears burn at its volume.

Before those around her had even stopped moving, she was dumped unceremoniously onto the floor and the impact alone was enough to knock the breath out of her tiny body and leave her gasping for much needed air. Her eyes snapped open but she immediately wished that she had kept them closed as she now knew exactly where the rotten smell was coming from and it was sight that would haunt her for a long time to come.

They were tall, much taller than her slight, 2 foot frame, with skin that looked to be black, but was so mottled and scarred, not to mention caked in filth, that it could conceivable be many others. Their faces were twisted and deformed, with abscesses literally oozing a sickly yellow fluid that just screamed 'septic' to her, and that was not the worst. When they moved closer, she could smell their breath as it washed over, and she had to fight the urge to gag once again. It smelled like the inside of a charnel house that had long been left uncleansed. Combined with the fear that was shooting through her body at the very thought of the situation, was it any wonder that some of the tears that had gathered in her eyes finally decided to spill down her cheeks?

The sight of her tears seemed to spur them on all the more however, and their mutilated faces twisted into a crude imitation of a smile and they took another step towards her, yelling at her in the crash language again when she tried to move away, only to fall when she found that her hands were bound. She knew they were taunting her, even if she couldn't understand what the things were saying, but she could not understand _why? _What had she done to them to deserve this? Why were they treating her in this way when she was sure that she had never met creatures like this before?

She was jerked violently out of her reprieve when one of the brutes in front of her stalked forwards and yanked her up by a fist in her hair. The sharp stabbing pain only added to the agony that was already in her mind, but she refused to cry out, she had no idea where it had come from, but for now, her fear had completely vanished to be replaced with a sudden surge of determination and stubbornness. If they wanted to see her cry then that would be the last thing that she would ever do.

Gathering all of her new found courage, she forced her head up to glare into its squinting eyes and spat squarely into its face. For a moment, she felt the glow of smug satisfaction at the dumbfounded look on its face, but she was soon wishing that she had refrained from this small act of defiance. Not 2 seconds later the pain really began, and it didn't let up for the longest while, not until darkness claimed her once again.

For the next few days things progressed in this manner, though she could not be sure about the exact details of what happened as the haze of agony made the world around her seem unclear and distorted… almost as though she was separate from this reality. Vaguely she realised that they were being carried somewhere and that they were travelling mainly at night, or on cloudy days. During the sunlight hours, she would be thrown down on the solid ground with unnecessary force and left there until it was time to move again. Her only comfort was the fact that Malrin would always be placed beside her. When the biting cold wind blew across them, they were able to curl up together like they could in the cave, and for a few short hours they could pretend to be back in their safe heaven… until their captors came to collect them once again and the illusion shattered.

It did not take long for them to fall into a routine, both of them too weak to even talk to each other after the first few days due to the lack of food. Their captors occasionally forced a burning drink down their throats, but that did nothing but keep them alive at a very basic level. For what reason she was still unsure, but by the end of their first week as captives, Malrin had pretty much given up any hope she may have had of rescue, or of even living through the ordeal. However, it was then that the routine changed, and things began to improve… for them at least.

They had only just set out on their journey for the night when around half of the beasts split off, leaving only a few behind in the small valley they had just entered. A strange kind of excitement seemed to fill the air, and it was this more than anything else that had the young girl forcing herself out of her perpetual daze to take full stock of her surroundings. For the longest time, nothing happened, but then a scream was heard off in the distance that had both her and her brother sitting up sharply. It was too clear to have been from the things that had taken them captive, that was for sure…. But did that mean that they had attacked someone else?

Their question was answered soon after when those that had left their little group returned, bearing a slim figure of a woman who still seemed to be struggling against their hold on her. The two young children could not really see much of her other than her long, silver-gold hair that seemed to glisten in the light. Much like what had happened to her when she had first awoken, and many times, since, this woman was thrown into the middle of a circle of the demons and beaten mercilessly much as they had, though it seemed to go on for much longer. Unable to move enough to help her, Malrin was forced to watch the other's pain until the beatings slowed and the things moved away, back to their fire.

It was then that the 2 of them moved, stumbling over to the prone figure that was now weeping into the grass. At first, their movements were slow and jerky, from both their weakness and the bonds, but after a few minutes, they were able to collapse down next to the new arrival. The beasts had not even noticed. So long as none of their prisoners attempted to escape or if it was time for the 'games' to start up again, they could care less about the actions of the pair, and it was this they used to their advantage.

With trembling fingers, Malrin ran her hand over the figures back, her mind subconsciously cataloguing the injuries she encountered, though she had no idea how. Instinctively, she reached for the energy that had been cut off from her since she had awoken to captivity the first time, allowing a tiny trickle of it to flow through her and into the woman before her. It was not enough for a true healing as that would have brought too much attention to them, but it was enough to stop the bleeding and numb the pain. After a moment, she moved on to do the same for Merlinor and herself as well. She would have done so before, but every time she had reached for the energy in the past, it had felt like there were tight chains wrapping around her body, preventing her from grasping them. Now it was gone and her head also felt much clearer than it had in days, she could not help but wonder if it had something to do with the drink that had been forced down their throats at regular intervals…. In the excitement over their new prey, their captors had forgotten to dose them again.

"_Hey, lady… are you okay? Do you think you can move? You see, we're bound and you're not…. Do you think you could untie these things… please?"_

If Merlinor's sudden ramblings had surprised her, it was nothing compared to the reaction it elicited from their new companion. With a speed that should not have been possible with the extent of her injuries, the woman's head snapped up, almost as though she had been subjected to an electrical shock. Her eyes instantly locked onto their small frames with something that seemed to be utter disbelief that Malrin could not understand… sure they were pretty badly beaten up, but not to the point where they deserved that kind of look. The woman seemed as though she had seen a ghost… perhaps it was just surprise that she was not the only one to be held captive?

When she spoke, even though it was in a whisper, it was almost like a flowing melody that had the two of them instinctively relaxing, despite the panicked undertone to her words.

"_You're… but, no… it can't be… who are you two? Where are you parents and how did you end up with the orcs? Why were you not protected?... how is this even possible?"_

The last question was nothing more than a mumble that they probably weren't meant to hear as her eyes stopped flickering around their pair of them and, instead, settled on the delicately pointed ear that could be seen poking out of the greasy strands of the younger girl's hair. Her intensity was so unexpected that it scared the two of them into a taking a few stumbling steps backwards until Merlinor tripped over something and sent them both crashing to the ground. Immediately they woman was upon them, a look of anguish on her face as she pulled the two of them first to their feet and then into a crushing bear hug that stunned them even more.

"_I'm sorry little ones, I'm sorry… I did not mean to frighten you… forgive me."_

For a moment the two of them froze at the feeling of being pulled so close in a hug by someone bigger than them, it had not happened before in their memories, but after a second, they relaxed into the warmth of the gesture, instinctively burrowing closer to the comfort the older woman was providing. Seemingly expecting this, the woman's only response was only to pull them tighter against them… although the action made it a little harder to breath, they welcomed it. For once since they woke up, it was nice to feel protected by someone else, even if it was completely unrealistic given the current situation.

It took a while for all of them to calm down after that, and the woman had seemed as worked up over their captivity as they were… even more so when it came to the idea of their treatment at the hands of these 'orc' creatures, but eventually they became comfortable enough to move away from each other and actually explain the events that lead to each of them ending up in their current state. They found out that her name was Celebrian and that she was the wife of some elven lord (and they had been a little shocked when the woman had called them 'elflings' though when they thought back on it, neither of them had any idea why). Apparently she had been on her way back home from visiting her parents in a different part of Arda when she and her guards had been attacked. Apparently, 3 of the 4 warriors that had been travelling with her had been killed by the orcs, but she was sure that the other had travelled back to her husband. Her undying faith that he would come and rescue her was astounding to the two of them who had pretty much given up all hope of rescue by this point… though when they told her this, she looked to be on the verge of tears.

In exchange, they told her about how they had woken up in the middle of an uninhabited area and how they had come to be taken captive when they lowered their guard. They explained how neither of them could remember anything before this point, and that they had both been pretty injured when they had awoken (something that seemed to have pained the lady even more) but something inside her stopped Malrin from mentioning her healing abilities… now did not seem like the right time. Even if she had already used them a little, Celebrian had been too out of it to actually notice, so it seemed like she would be able to keep this one secret for now.

After that, things got better, if only a little. Now that she knew to avoid the drink that was continuously being forced down her throat, she was able to numb their pain slightly, so they were more lucid for longer periods of time. Celebrian also attempted to defend them from the attack of the orcs, to the best of her ability, and, although she could not manage much, it was still another break from the pain that they were both thankful for. And, true to the elders unending belief in her husband, before they had even managed to start off for their 4th day of travelling since she had joined their group, they were awoken by the distant sound of hoof beats resounding on the very edge of their hearing, that their captors seemed unable to notice.

Before she had been able to process what such a sound surely meant, warm hands had been on her shoulder, forcing her up and towards the trees as she stumbled, still half asleep. As they moved, Celebrian bent down and began whispering quickly into her ear, hurrying away from the monsters by the fire who thankfully still seemed oblivious to their actions.

"_The two of you must go now, run quickly into the forest and don't look back. Believe these to be my kinsmen, and if this is true then we will send someone to search for you, but if not, they will still distract the orcs, and you cannot waste this opportunity."_

By then they had reached the fringe of the trees once again, and with surprisingly nimble fingers considering the fact that half of them were broken and her hands were still bound, she untied the ropes restraining them, and gave the young pair another push into the tree cover. They both took a few stumbling steps, unused to walking much after so long being carried, but when she made no move to follow them, they turned back and each latched onto one of her arms.

"_If we are going, so are you… we can't leave you behind."_

"_Please don't make us!"_

They would have continued their protests if they had had the time, but as it was, a sudden cry went up from the camp behind them when their presence was missed. Smiling sadly at the two before her, Celebrian had gently detached herself from their hold from her torn clothing and pushed them forwards once more before turning back to face the snarling horde that were coming towards them again. By which time it was too late, and, even though it tore at her heart to run from such a situation, she had forged onwards, not noticing until several minutes late that her brother had not gone with her.

When she finally stopped, panting for breath in the dense underbrush, she span around with panic, sure that she couldn't really be alone. She had never truly been alone before and it scared her immensely. In the empty forest, her heart beat out a frantic rhythm that sounded like thunder in her own ears, completely drowning out anything else that she may have been able to notice. It was so dark that even her enhanced vision could not differentiate between the shadows of anything further than a few feet in front of her.

Instead of slowing down now that she had stopped, her breathing accelerated until she was curled up on the damp earth, her eyes streaming and her chest burning. She had no way of finding her way back to the clearing from before, she had paid no attention to which direction she had been running in at the time so long as it would take her away from the torment of the last month. But now she had nowhere to go and no idea of what to do. Finally, the numb haze that had been protecting her since her last day in the cave dissolved and left her quivering on the ground, unwilling and unable to move.

The pain that she had been blocking out with that strange energy the voice had informed her of before came rushing back in a tidal wave that made her gasp out and choke on her sobs. It felt like every part of her body, no matter how small and insignificant, was aflame, the heat spreading out from her fingers slowly, and increasing in intensity the longer it lasted.

She had no idea how long she lay there, biting her lip bloody as she tried to prevent herself from screaming, knowing that if the orcs were out looking for her then her best chance was to remain silent, but the feel of a large hand falling onto her tensed shoulder made her flinch violently and spin away from whoever it was that had snuck up behind her.

Almost as though her had been surprised by her actions, the man froze where he had been stood, crouched over and his hand outstretched as he regarded her warily. However, after a second, his on guard expression seemed to crack and one of shock was left behind, his eyes fixed slightly to the left of her face, on the tip of her ear that poked out of her hair.

For her own part, Malrin was fighting a losing battle inside her own mind. Her instincts were screaming at her to trust this man, even more than they had told her to lower her guard around Celebrain, but her body was still screaming with the pain that had yet to fade. She didn't want to be hurt again, and how did she know that this man would not hurt her in the same way as the beasts before had? Yes he was prettier than those black things, and the faint golden glow around him seemed to set her muscles at ease even without her conscious decision to relax.

She wanted to back away and begin running again, but her sore arms protested violently and tiny whimper forced itself out from between her lips and her legs collapsed beneath her once again. She had expected to hit the ground hard like she had the first time, and braced herself for the impact, but instead, she found herself cradled in strong arms that held her close.

She felt like she should have protested, should have though in some way, even if it was a token attempt, but the man was warm, and she had been cold for too long to simply pull away. The faint memory of Celebrian saying that she would send out someone to find her once it was safe resurfaced and she found herself leaning closer into his arms as he began to move, allowing the black haze that had framed her vision to take over everything and she fell into unconsciousness.


End file.
